HKU () is a station on the Hong Kong MTR located in the Shek Tong Tsui neighbourhood of Western, Hong Kong. The station is named after the adjacent University of Hong Kong. Its livery is mint green.

Part of the West Island line, a westward extension to the existing , HKU station opened on 28 December 2014 along with Kennedy Town station.

As of its opening, HKU station was the largest and deepest cavern station in the MTR network, at 250 metres long and 22 metres wide, below ground.

History Before the 1980s, an MTR station by the name of Whitty () was planned to be built underground at Des Voeux Road West, near Ka On Street, Whitty Street and Hill Road. Lots at Chong Yip Centre and Pacific Plaza were reserved for future station exits and concourse. This was part of a planned extension of the Island line that was never built, but which was replaced by the West Island line project, of which HKU station forms a part.

The MTR Corporation let out a tender for the construction of the and HKU stations and of tunnel. In 2009, the design and architecture was awarded to Aedas in joint venture with AECOM. The construction work was awarded to Gammon Construction (half owned by Balfour Beatty) for HK$4.7 billion. Construction commenced in 2010 and was completed in 2014. HKU station opened on 28 December 2014.

Naming There were disputes among locals and district councillors over the station's name. Some suggested to restore the previous official name "Belcher" (, , bou2 ceoi3) after The Belcher's, a housing development in the area, as well as Belcher Street and Belcher Bay. Some believed that the MTR Corporation's decision to change the name to "University" was not well consulted within the community, while others worried that it might cause confusion with another existing on the , near the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Some also suggested "Shek Tong Tsui", after the area the station would serve.

In August 2009, MTR named the station "Hong Kong University".Construction of the MTR West Island Line Project Commenced, MTR Corporation. The latest revision changed the English name to "HKU", the abbreviation of The University of Hong Kong nearby.

Station layout

GGround levelExits/EntrancesCConcourseCustomer ServicePPlatformsPlatform towards () →Island platform, doors will open on the rightPlatform ← Island line towards (Terminus) The station is located under Pok Fu Lam Road.Proposed location of HKU Station, MTR Corporation It has two tracks and one centre island platform. In addition, the MTR has built elevators to link HKU station to the University of Hong Kong. The HKU station is located at a depth of , making it the deepest station in the MTR system upon its opening.

HKU station features designated refuge areas, to which passengers can be evacuated in case of emergency. Refuge areas are pressurised and equipped with fire systems including sprinklers and fire curtains, and independent power supply units. HKU station is the first station in the MTR network to apply such shelter design and the use of lifts to reach safety.

Exits HKU station has six exits.Site Plan of University Station, West Island Line EIA Reports As exits A1, A2 and C1 are situated deep underneath Mid-Levels, only express lifts are used to transport passengers. This makes HKU station the first station in the MTR system to feature lift-only exits.

Exits A1 and A2 are served by a total of eight lifts with a maximum load of 1,800 kg per lift. Exit C1 is served by four lifts with a capacity of 2,100 kg each. A1: Pok Fu Lam Road (near Haking Wong Building), St. Paul's College, St. Stephen's Church College A2: The University of Hong Kong Main Campus, Chow Yei Ching Building, Haking Wong Building B1: Whitty Street, Chong Yip Shopping Centre, Shek Tong Tsui Municipal Services Building B2: Hill Road, Hong Kong Plaza, JEN Hong Kong by Shangri-La C1: The Belcher's, Pok Fu Lam Road, The University of Hong Kong Centennial Campus C2: Belcher's Street, Harbour One, The Westwood, Kennedy Town Swimming Pool

Operational challenges

Elevator congestion During peak hours, the lifts are unable to handle the sheer volume of passengers. As the two exits connected to The University of Hong Kong main campus, long queues develop at exits A1 and A2 during peak hours due to large passenger flow from the student population. In response to the significant congestion issue, the Information Technology Services of the University of Hong Kong has introduced the "MTR Queuing Condition" feature on the HKU App. It delivers real-time queuing status between the University Street and MTR HKU Station Exit A2. This has made real-time queuing status accessible to users, allowing them to plan their commutes.

2019-2020 Hong Kong Protests

In the series of local demonstrations from 2019 to 2020, facilities of more than 20 MTR stations were vandalised, including the HKU Station. The lifts serving Exit C1 were propped open and damaged. Protesters also installed roadblocks at the campus entrances at Exits A1, A2 and C1 to prevent police from entering.

The MTR Corporation strongly condemned vandalism. On November 13, it announced that the HKU Station would close at 8pm.

Future HKU station is proposed to be an interchange station for the Island line and the South Island line (West). The platforms of the South Island line (West) will be built under those of the Island line.

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References